Results 1 to 11 of 11

Thread: Hand Plane Identification

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2018
    Location
    Lindsborg, Kansas
    Posts
    62

    Hand Plane Identification

    I have my great-grandfathers jack plane and have used it for a couple of projects. Its tough to tune in since it doesn't have a tilt lever. I'm not sure of the brand since the only imprints are "made in USA", so I don't know if its missing parts or not.

    Any insight would be appreciated. 20180425_202639.jpg20180425_202652.jpg

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Location
    twomiles from the "peak of Ohio
    Posts
    12,120
    Stanley Defiance. Early model. Use the depth adjust to also do the lateral adjust. Yoke slides on a long, side to side rod. Maybe from the early 1930s..

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Longview WA
    Posts
    27,347
    Blog Entries
    1
    Stanley Defiance.
    +1 on that.

    jtk
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    Sebastopol, California
    Posts
    2,319
    Someone, possibly Patrick Leach, said the planes were named "Defiance" because they defied you to do good work with them. There's an interesting article on Defiance tools here: https://www.farmcollector.com/tools/...-zm0z12augzbea

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Location
    twomiles from the "peak of Ohio
    Posts
    12,120
    When Leonard Bailey quit working for Stanley...he started up his own company, making planes the "Bailey" way....Victor and Defiance were two of the names he used....mainly in "defiance" of Stanley.

    Then, in the 1950s or so, Stanley brought back the two brand names.....that had more in common with their Handyman line. Two very different Defiance planes. Mostly the later ones got the same reputation as the Handyman planes.
    Last edited by steven c newman; 05-01-2018 at 2:24 PM.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Dec 2015
    Location
    Dublin, CA
    Posts
    4,119
    Quote Originally Posted by steven c newman View Post
    When Leonard Bailey quit working for Stanley...he started up his own company, making planes the "Bailey" way....Victor and Defiance were two of the names he used....mainly in "defiance" of Stanley.

    Then, in the 1950s or so, Stanley brought back the two brand names.....that had more in common with their Handyman line.
    Stanley bought out Bailey for the second and last time in 1884. That's when they acquired the "Victor" and "Defiance" brands, though they didn't sell any tools of their own under those brands until the 1930s.

  7. #7
    My first smoother was a Defiance. I've long since forgotten where I acquired it. It was more than good enough to learn on. I supplanted it with more and better smoothers, but it still is part of my mobile tool box when I need a smoother.

    It should work just fine as a jack plane as long as there aren't any issues with the iron. Jack planes don't really have to be top quality for most of their uses. Even if you have or when you get better jack planes, hang on to it. It is perfect for shaving a paint covered sticking storm door or other rough work you don't want to expose your good tools to.

    My first and still primary jack plane is a Revonoc. Never heard or seen of one before or since, but it works nice. It's got a neat taper iron, thick at the end and thinner up the blade.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Mar 2018
    Location
    Lindsborg, Kansas
    Posts
    62
    Thanks for your responses. It looks like my great-grandad used it for painted stuff given its patina. I sharpened it up but still get tear out on walnut. Maybe from what I'm hearing I need to go to a better tool for smoothing my furniture projects.
    Funny Defiance is a brewery that broke off Liquid Bread in Hays KS where I went to college for the same reasons. I think good beer with Defiance.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    Dickinson, Texas
    Posts
    7,655
    Blog Entries
    1
    If you will de-rust an old plane and replace japanning with automotive semi-gloss paint, the plane will look like new.

    I have several rust buckets that I've given treatment to, and bought Hock Breakers and irons to that I use. These are Bedrock
    planes in three cases. One of my favorites is a 5 1/2 Bailey. I also have 604, 605, and 607 Bedrocks.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Longview WA
    Posts
    27,347
    Blog Entries
    1
    Quote Originally Posted by lowell holmes View Post
    If you will de-rust an old plane and replace japanning with automotive semi-gloss paint, the plane will look like new.

    I have several rust buckets that I've given treatment to, and bought Hock Breakers and irons to that I use. These are Bedrock
    planes in three cases. One of my favorites is a 5 1/2 Bailey. I also have 604, 605, and 607 Bedrocks.
    My recollection of the Defiance planes is the frog is part of the main casting. If it can be made to work as is, fine. Otherwise it likely isn't worth investing much at attempts to make it a better plane than it is.

    There are somethings a premium blade won't fix.

    All of my old Stanley/Bailey planes work just as well with original or Hock blades installed. The real difference is the Hock blades may hold an edge a little longer.

    jtk
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Location
    twomiles from the "peak of Ohio
    Posts
    12,120
    It has more to do with the chipbreaker on that plane. I have a #4 sized one in the shop, right now. IF you make sure the iron is sharp, the back is flat ( at least where the chipbreaker sits) and there is no gaps between the back of the iron, and the chipbreaker , it works just fine. Set the chipbreaker back from the edge about..1 mm....and give that a try.
    DSCF0033.jpgDSCF0035.jpg
    As for that "frog"...You can run a file alog it, to smooth the surface out, IF need be.
    Being a Jack plane, you can add a bit of camber to the edge of the iron...and let the plane take larger bites like a jack plane should.
    defiance plane.jpg
    And....no, you can't remove that red colour in the handles...it goes all the way through.

Tags for this Thread

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •